Consultants and other technical assistance providers can be excellent resources for building organizational capacity. Time and financial resources are often limited, so selecting the right consultant is essential.

Criteria for Selecting Consultants 

• Connection with and understanding of the organization’s mission, values and culture.
• Interest in the organization and project.
• Relevant background and expertise, including both functional expertise and subject matter or work/life experience.
• Experience with similar organizations.
• Ability to execute the project successfully within budget parameters, time frame, etc.
• Known as trustworthy, respectful, collaborative and flexible.
• Communication style, wisdom, critical thinking skills, emotional intelligence and listening skills demonstrated through interviews and confirmed through references.

Process for Engaging Consultants

For many small or emerging organizations, working with a consultant will be a new experience. The mentor can play a critical role in facilitating a successful engagement. The mentor is often a bridge and translator of the organization’s needs and the consultant’s offerings. Guiding the organization in the process of selecting, engaging and working with a consultant or technical assistance provider is an important step in building the organization’s ability to use these resources and in developing self-reliance. In selecting and engaging a consultant, a mentor can help:

• Clarify what support is wanted and needed and work with the organization to develop a Request for Proposal.
• Provide names and credentials of consultants with relevant skills and encourage the leaders to review the credentials and contact the consultants to explore their interest and availability.
• Provide sample Requests for Proposal and support the organization in developing their own for this engagement.
• If needed, work with the leaders as they evaluate the proposals and select their preferred consultant. This may include attending interviews between the leaders and consulting candidates.
• Support the organization in developing a formal written contract or simple letter of agreement to clarify the engagement and expectations, formalize the relationship, and give both parties the appropriate guidance for resolving any problems that may arise. The letter of agreement should include a detailed description of the work to be done, timetables/milestones, required resources, expected outcomes or deliverables; and agreed budget.
• Support the organization once the work begins by asking questions about progress during the monthly mentorship meetings. The consultant may at times ask the mentor for support in communicating with the organization’s leaders to ensure that the work progresses as planned and desired, or to discuss course correction, if necessary.